


Better Than Kraft

by Freckled_Halos



Series: Gates Closed [15]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cooking, Domestic, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 20:03:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freckled_Halos/pseuds/Freckled_Halos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The two ate their dinner with pleasant conversation and laughter, like usual. Dean burned his mouth by eating too fast, but he still got seconds, like usual. Cas finished his meal and picked the leftover salad off of Dean’s plate, like usual, though it was something he always told himself to stop doing. Dean packaged up the leftovers while Cas washed the dishes and they eventually ended up on the sofa, beers in hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Than Kraft

There was a light snow falling over Sioux Falls and Dean and Castiel’s home windows were etched with frost. The sun was close to setting as the two men stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Bright, warm light shone through their front windows, casting shadows onto the couch and coffee table which housed car magazines and unopened bills. An inviting smell of sizzling garlic and onions wafted from the kitchen throughout the tiny house and a pot of water boiled on the stove.

Cas observed as Dean poured a box of elbow noodles into the water, whistling. He then poked at the smaller saucepan of garlic and onion.

“What are you making again?” Cas asked gently.

“It’s called a _béchamel_ sauce.” Dean replied, smirking at Cas from over his shoulder.

“Hm.” Castiel returned to his cutting board of vegetables. Due to an incident involving the fire department and a charred frozen pizza, Cas was now only in charge of raw “rabbit food”--as Dean called it. He methodically diced a cucumber, red pepper and a stalk of celery before tossing them into a bowl of lettuce.

At the stove, Dean was carefully adding spoonfuls of flour and butter into the smaller pot and whisked. “Would you get me the milk please, baby?” Dean asked, distracted. “I need exactly two cups.”

Cas set down his knife and shuffled to the fridge. “This ‘béchamel’ looks complicated,” he stated, grabbing a glass measuring cup out of a cabinet. He filled the container and handed it to Dean who slowly poured it into the saucepan.

“It’s just a process.” Dean replied, upping the heat on the burner. “Hey, if Paula Deen can make a white sauce, so can I.”

“Who?”

“Nevermind.”

The milk mixture bubbled and frothed as Dean stopped whisking and turned the burner to low. “You got that rabbit food almost ready, bud?”

“Yes. What else would you like in it? Do we have any croutons?” Castiel mumbled, searching the cabinets.

“No, we ran out last week, remember?” Dean answered, scooping a noodle out to test its texture.

Cas closed the cabinet and looked hard at Dean. “We just went to the store last week.”

“Yeah, well, croutons don’t last forever.”

“Only because you have more of them than actual greens when we have salad at dinner.”

Dean raised his hands, innocently. “Hey, I need to keep up my A-game, pal, and some vegan shit isn’t gonna do that for me.”

“Always so eloquent, my love.” Cas replied, patting Dean on the cheeks.

“Ha. Ha.” Dean turned back to the stove where the sauce was lugubriously bubbling. He gave it a stir and a taste, adding salt and pepper. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a container of shredded cheese and dumped the entire thing into the sauce.

“I’m telling you,” he began, “I know how much you like Kraft, but making real mac and cheese is a whole new experience.”

“I simply like the _convenience_ of Kraft, Dean. I like your cooking much better.” Cas retorted, walking up and putting his hands on Dean’s hips as he watched over his shoulder.

The cheese sauce was thick and yellow as the cheddar melted, the onions and garlic still deliciously in the mix. Cas returned to the salad, adding almonds and cherry tomatoes as Dean strained the noodles. He returned them to the pot and added the cheese sauce to that, stirring to coat the pasta.

“Fuck yes.” Dean mumbled, admiring his handy-work while Cas set the table.

Dean served them each heaping bowls of mac and cheese and Cas divided the salad evenly between them. Dean drenched his in ranch, which Castiel expected, and he noted to pick up more (plus croutons) the next time they were in town.

The two ate their dinner with pleasant conversation and laughter, like usual. Dean burned his mouth by eating too fast, but he still got seconds, like usual. Cas finished his meal and picked the leftover salad off of Dean’s plate, like usual, though it was something he always told himself to stop doing. Dean packaged up the leftovers while Cas washed the dishes and they eventually ended up on the sofa, beers in hand.  

“I told you it beats the box.” Dean smiled into the lip of his bottle and took a swig, wrapping an arm around Castiel’s shoulders.  

“I believed you,” Cas smiled. There was a long silence before he added quietly, “you’re different now.”

Dean paused. “Different?”

“Yes.” Cas shifted to face him. “Before the angels, before purgatory, before…everything, I’m not sure I truly heard you laugh. Or saw you smile as brilliantly as you do now.”

“Well, I just…things are better now, you know?” Dean glanced at Cas who was looking intently at him. “I mean, Demons? Locked up and that includes Crowley. Angels? Gate’s closed upstairs too. Sam’s finally going to school, he’s with a great girl and he’s happy. Hell, even Kevin is off where he’s supposed to be too.”

“And you, Dean? Are you happy?”

Dean set down his empty bottle and casually took one of Cas’ hands in his. “I get to spend every day with my best friend just shootin’ the shit and cooking and listening to my records and baby’s outback and we have a house and all I have to do is kill a monster or two during the month. I get laid almost every night…” Cas blushed and hid his face in Dean’s neck.  Dean let his head rest on Cas’ as his free hand toyed with the old t-shirt Castiel was wearing. “It’s just…very nice to have someone to spend the nights with and someone to wake up to.” Dean kissed the top of Cas’ head. “So, yeah…I guess I am pretty happy.”

**Author's Note:**

> I used to be opposed to Dean calling Cas 'baby' but now I love the idea so much I can't even


End file.
